Category Archives: Retail

Other - Retail, Retail

Asheville, NC – Sprinkler system credited with extinguishing fire at hardwood flooring business

A sprinkler system at a commercial building on Riverside Drive is being credited with averting a fire Thursday morning.  Asheville Fire Department crews were dispatched to Asheville Hardwood Center, 554 Riverside Drive, shortly after 7:30 a.m. for the report of a structure fire, said spokeswoman Kelley Klope.

Smoke was showing but crews who entered the building found the fire had been completely extinguished by the sprinkler system, Klope said.  Firefighters helped with turning off the water flow of the sprinklers and with ventilation of smoke.

Nearby businesses were evacuated as precautionary measures. No injuries were reported. The fire was ruled accidental. Fire sprinkler systems, which can also be used in residential structures, are known to drastically reduce heat, flames and smoke in the event of a fire.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Henderson, NV – Sprinkler system contains fire in retail strip mall; No damage to neighboring businesses

The Henderson Fire Department responded to a structure fire in a commercial strip center near North Boulder Highway and East Lake Mead Parkway this morning at about 2:30 a.m. The call was reported to 9-1-1 as a water flow event by the building’s alarm monitoring company. The first arriving firefighters observed smoke originating at Las Vegas Kettle Corn, located at 110 N. Boulder Hwy., and requested additional assistance for a possible structure fire.

Crews broke the store’s front windows to ventilate the smoke and found the fire in an office area of the business. The fire was controlled by the building’s fire sprinkler system and crews quickly extinguished the remaining fire. The fire did not extend into neighboring businesses. The businesses located in the strip center were closed at the time of the fire. There were no injuries to bystanders or fire personnel.

A City of Henderson Fire Investigator, Henderson Police, NV Energy and Southwest Gas assisted in securing the building. It was determined that the fire originated in the store’s camera security equipment.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Casa Grande, AZ – Electrical fire at Victoria’s Secret store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Victoria’s Secret store at The Promenade at Casa Grande has closed temporarily after a small fire erupted last Wednesday morning.  A store associate said it was an electrical fire.  The sprinklers had extinguished the fire by the time the Casa Grande Fire Department arrived at about 8 a.m. 

Signs posted in front of the store indicate the damage could take up to two weeks to repair. Much of the merchandise has been removed as some of the walls and flooring are renovated. The store is expected to undergo a “complete make-over,” according to the associate.

Security guards are monitoring the area 24/7 until the store opens again. Residents who call the store at 421-1372 will hear a pre-recorded message indicating the location is temporarily closed with no scheduled date to re-open.  

Other - Retail, Retail

Teays Valley, WV – Overnight fire at Home Depot controlled by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system is being credited for controlling a fire inside a business in Putnam County. Firefighters said they got the call about a fire a Home Depot about 12:30 a.m. Monday.

Luckily, several fire departments arrived to find the flames under control. Teays Valley Fire Chief John Smoot credits the sprinkler system for controlling the fire. A manager at the store said there was minimal smoke damage, but a lot of water damage.

Smoot said it started in the paint sections, but right now firefighters don’t know what caused the fire. Home Depot is open Monday, although they will not be mixing paint.

Department Store, Retail

Hixson, TN – Fire at Kmart store contained to printing room by sprinkler system

Firefighters battled a small fire at a Kmart in Hixson Sunday.  When firefighters got to the store on Highway 153, they noticed smoke coming from the right, front portion of the building that is used as a printing room.

The fire was contained to the printing room and officials say the sprinkler system inside help keep the fire under control. Chattanooga Fire Chief Don Bowman says it appears the fire started from one of the printers.  The store was evacuated and employees told officials it’ll take one to two days to clean up the damage.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Bloomington, IL – Sprinkler system limits damage in early morning fire at Kroger grocery store

It was a slightly later open than usual for the Kroger grocery store at 1502 N. Main Street in Bloomington on Friday. A Kroger spokesman confirmed there was a small fire that broke out in a manager’s office. Spokesman John Elliott said the fire activated the sprinkler system and there was no damage.

Bloomington Fire Department spokesman Stewart Blade said crews were called to the store at 5:15 a.m. The store has since reopened. Blade said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other - Retail, Retail

Half Moon Bay, CA – Overnight fire at hardware store contained by sprinkler system

Hassett Hardware employees were alerted early this morning to a small fire at the Main Street business. It resulted in damaged special orders due to smoke and sprinkler system. “It was just a small fire in our receiving area,” said Hassett Hardware co-owner Eric Hassett. “The fire suppression system kicked in and prevented the spread fairly quickly.”

The fire alarm went off after 1 a.m. and Hassett said they had an employee on the scene within 10 minutes. Firefighters showed up shortly after that. CalFire Battalion Chief David Cosgrave said firefighters were there until 5 a.m. to ensure the fire was out and to remove burned materials. The cause of the fire is still unknown at this point, Hassett said, but employees suspect an oil-stained rag that was in a melted trashcan could have been the culprit.

The fire left no structural damage, Hassett said, and mostly affected customer special orders for items such as jackets and pants. The employees are going through the mess right now but, Hassett said the business is still operating as usual. “On the front end customers won’t notice,” Hassett said. “It smells a whole lot worse than it really was.”

Retail, Shopping Mall

Duluth, GA – Sprinkler system saves strip mall from damage in fire; No injuries

A small fire at a strip shopping center undergoing construction in Duluth caused minimal damage Wednesday afternoon, thanks to an automatic sprinkler system.

Firefighters responded around 4:48 p.m. to a report of a fire at the shopping center in the 3940 block of Buford Highway, according to Capt. Tommy Rutledge, public information officer for the Gwinnett County fire department.

Crews arrived to find light smoke and the sprinkler system activated. They discovered a small fire in an unoccupied store suite that was had already been extinguished by the sprinklers.

The fire caused minimal damage, as the suite was vacant at the time and no contents were involved. The fire appears accidental and was sparked by a floor compound during construction work. There were no injuries reported and no damage to the structure, Rutledge said.

Other - Retail, Retail

Bowling Green, KY – Fire at home surplus store held in check by sprinkler system

Bowling Green firefighters were called to Super Home Surplus, 2326 Russellville Road, at 3 a.m. after an electrical fire in wiring ignited near a neon sign between the roof and a dropped ceiling, BGFD spokesman Marlee Boenig said.

There was fire damage to a front showroom and minimal water damage to the building, she said. No one was injured. Firefighters remained on the scene for 3-1/2 hours to fight the fire and investigate the cause, Boenig said.

A sprinkler near the point of origin helped keep the fire in check until firefighters arrived, and the sprinkler minimized damage, she said. The department responded with seven trucks and 22 personnel.

Other - Retail, Retail

Center Point, AL – Sprinkler system credited with saving business, shopping center

A sprinkler system is being credited with saving a Center Point business from burning to the ground early Wednesday morning. Someone driving past the Center Point Shopping center noticed smoke coming from the Cleaners and called 911.

Firefighters arrived on scene at 1:30 a.m., but the sprinklers had already extinguished the fire. Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West tells ABC 33/40, the situation could have been much worse had the sprinklers not put the fire out.

The buildings in the shopping center are all connected and West says flammable chemicals inside the business would have quickly caused the fire to spread. The cause of what started the fire remains under investigation.